Apparatus for electrodynamically driving a charged gas or charged particles entrained in a gas

Abstract

Gaseous particles or gas-entrained particles may be conveyed by electric fields acting on charged species included in the gaseous or gas-entrained particles.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution, comprising:
 a charge electrode configured to impart transient majority charges onto a flame; 
 a plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions configured to apply electromotive forces onto the transient majority charges, the field electrodes or electrode portions being arranged along a transport path of the flame; and 
 an electrode controller operatively coupled to the charge electrode and the plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions, the electrode controller being configured to apply synchronous drive voltages to cause synchronous transport, along the transport path, of the transient majority charges by the electromotive forces applied by the plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions, and thereby synchronously to drive the flame along the transport path. 
 
     
     
       2. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a burner configured to support the flame. 
 
     
     
       3. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , wherein the charge electrode further comprises:
 a charge injector configured to add the transient majority charges to the flame. 
 
     
     
       4. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , wherein the charge electrode further comprises:
 a charge depletion surface configured to remove transient minority charges from the flame to leave the transient majority charges in the flame. 
 
     
     
       5. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions configured to apply electromotive forces onto the transient majority charges further comprise:
 a plurality of independently driven electrodes. 
 
     
     
       6. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions configured to apply electromotive forces onto the transient majority charges further comprise:
 a plurality of electrodes, each of the plurality of electrodes including a plurality of electrode portions, the electrode portions of each electrode being separated from one another by shielded portions. 
 
     
     
       7. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions configured to apply electromotive forces onto the transient majority charges further comprise:
 field electrodes or electrode portions arranged within the transport path. 
 
     
     
       8. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions configured to apply electromotive forces onto the transient majority charges further comprise:
 field electrodes or electrode portions arranged peripheral to the transport path. 
 
     
     
       9. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions configured to apply electromotive forces onto the transient majority charges further comprise:
 one or more field electrodes or electrode portions disposed within the transport path; and 
 one or more field electrodes or electrode portions disposed peripheral to the transport path. 
 
     
     
       10. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , wherein the applied electromotive forces on the transient majority charges are selected to impart momentum transfer onto uncharged gas particles or gas-entrained particles. 
     
     
       11. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode controller is configured to cause the charge electrode to impart transient majority charges corresponding to a sequence of oppositely charged majority charge regions. 
     
     
       12. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 11 , wherein the electrode controller is configured to apply sequences of voltages to the plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions to drive movement of the oppositely charged majority charge regions along the transport path. 
     
     
       13. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 11 , wherein the electrode controller is configured to apply sequences of voltages to the plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions to drive movement of the sequence of oppositely charged majority charge regions along the transport path. 
     
     
       14. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode controller further comprises:
 a synchronous motor drive circuit configured to generate drive pulses corresponding to voltages applied to the plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions. 
 
     
     
       15. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 11 , wherein the electrode controller further comprises:
 one or more amplifiers configured to amplify drive pulses to voltages applied to the plurality of field electrodes or electrode portions. 
 
     
     
       16. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more amplifiers include three amplifiers. 
     
     
       17. The system for synchronously driving a flame shape or heat distribution of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 one or more sensors operatively coupled to provide one or more signals to the electrode controller; 
 wherein the one or more sensors are configured to sense one or more parameters corresponding to one or more of flame shape, heat distribution, combustion characteristic, particle content, or majority charged region location; and 
 wherein the electrode controller is configured to select a timing, sequence, or timing and sequence of drive pulses corresponding to voltages applied to the charge electrode, the field electrode or electrode portions, or the charge electrode and the field electrode or electrode portions responsive to the one or more signals from the one or more sensors.